Speedtalk
Encyclopedia
Speedtalk is a fictional constructed language
and key plot device
in Robert A. Heinlein
's novella Gulf
(1949). Speedtalk was a logic-based language
with complex syntax
, minimal vocabulary
, and a rich phoneme
inventory (written with letters such as œ
, ħ, ø
, and ʉ); it would make both communication and thought more efficient and precise. A single phoneme indicated a word, so a "word" indicated a sentence. In the only example given, a single word meant "The far horizons draw no nearer."
Many of these ideas have been incorporated into the Ithkuil language.
Mark Rosenfelder's Language Construction Kit has a section on Speedtalk entitled How many words do you need?. He highlights the main problems with Speedtalk:
This first point has been made somewhat irrelevant by the comments of Ben Sandler in his article "Speedtalk".
Nevertheless, some have attempted to construct similar languages. Examples that embody some of the concepts of Speedtalk include:
Constructed language
A planned or constructed language—known colloquially as a conlang—is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised by an individual or group, instead of having evolved naturally...
and key plot device
Plot device
A plot device is an object or character in a story whose sole purpose is to advance the plot of the story, or alternatively to overcome some difficulty in the plot....
in Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
's novella Gulf
Gulf (Heinlein)
Gulf is a novella by Robert A. Heinlein, originally published as a serial in the November and December 1949 issues of Astounding Science Fiction. It concerns a secret society of geniuses who act to protect humanity...
(1949). Speedtalk was a logic-based language
Engineered language
Engineered languages are constructed languages devised to test or prove some hypotheses about how languages work or might work. There are at least three subcategories, philosophical languages , logical languages , and experimental languages...
with complex syntax
Syntax
In linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing phrases and sentences in natural languages....
, minimal vocabulary
Vocabulary
A person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge...
, and a rich phoneme
Phoneme
In a language or dialect, a phoneme is the smallest segmental unit of sound employed to form meaningful contrasts between utterances....
inventory (written with letters such as œ
Œ
Œ œŒ is a Latin alphabet grapheme, a ligature of o and e. In medieval and early modern Latin, it was used to represent the Greek diphthong οι, a usage which continues in English and French...
, ħ, ø
Ø
Ø — minuscule: "ø", is a vowel and a letter used in the Danish, Faroese, Norwegian and Southern Sami languages.It's mostly used as a representation of mid front rounded vowels, such as ø œ, except for Southern Sami where it's used as an [oe] diphtong.The name of this letter is the same as the sound...
, and ʉ); it would make both communication and thought more efficient and precise. A single phoneme indicated a word, so a "word" indicated a sentence. In the only example given, a single word meant "The far horizons draw no nearer."
Many of these ideas have been incorporated into the Ithkuil language.
Examples of Speedtalk
Two, untranslated, conversations appeared in the story:
"œnɪe ʀ ħøg rylp"
"nU"
"tsʉmaeq?"
"nø!"
"zUlntsɨ."
"ɨpbitʹ New Jersey."
Attempts at creating Speedtalks
As the idea is outlined but not developed in Heinlein's work, many have attempted to create languages embodying Speedtalk's principles.Mark Rosenfelder's Language Construction Kit has a section on Speedtalk entitled How many words do you need?. He highlights the main problems with Speedtalk:
- Basic EnglishBasic EnglishBasic English, also known as Simple English, is an English-based controlled language created by linguist and philosopher Charles Kay Ogden as an international auxiliary language, and as an aid for teaching English as a Second Language...
claims to have reduced English to 850 basic words, but only by exploiting English-speakers' extensive vocabulary of homonyms and idioms - The built-in redundancy of natural languages allows utterances to be understood in spite of not being clearly heard
This first point has been made somewhat irrelevant by the comments of Ben Sandler in his article "Speedtalk".
Nevertheless, some have attempted to construct similar languages. Examples that embody some of the concepts of Speedtalk include:
- IthkuilIthkuilIthkuil is a constructed language marked by outstanding grammatical complexity, expressed with a rich phonemic inventory or through an original, graphically structured, system of writing....
(superseded by Ilaksh) - Ilaksh